1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a display method, and a recording medium recording a display program, and particularly to an image forming apparatus for displaying information on a screen, a display method, and a recording medium recording a display program.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus representing a copier, a printer, a facsimile transmission and reception machine, an MFP (Multi-Functional Peripheral) having functions of the former as combined, and the like has such a display portion as an operation panel for presenting information to a user. Then, the image forming apparatus uses the display portion to provide presentation of an operation screen, notification or the like.
For example, an image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-104263 includes a document scan-again key. In the image forming apparatus, when the key is pressed to enter a scan-again mode, a pop-up screen for scanning a document again is displayed on an operation panel so that entry into that mode is notified (for example, FIG. 4).
Alternatively, by way of another example of notification, when a user's operation input is not accepted during processing in an image forming apparatus, a message box notifying the user of that fact may be displayed on an operation panel.
As exemplified in the publication above, however, when a pop-up screen is displayed at the time of switching between the modes, the pop-up screen is suddenly displayed on the operation panel during the user's operation. Consequently, the user's smooth operational feeling or usability may be impaired.
Meanwhile, the user cannot know how long he/she should wait until an operation input is accepted, simply based on display of the message box indicating that the user's operation input is not accepted. Therefore, the user's smooth operational feeling or usability may again be impaired.